The SS Walter L. Fleming was a Liberty ship built at J.A. Jones Construction in Florida during World War II. The ship was named after Walter Lynwood Fleming, an American historian and Dean of the Vanderbilt University College of Arts and Science. The SS Walter L. Fleming was launched on 7 December 1943. Of all the stations in the U.S. military, members of the Navy faced the highest levels of asbestos exposure during their service. Fire hazards represented a serious concern in fuel-loaded ships that were vulnerable to direct attacks, and one method of fire prevention was the use of insulators like asbestos. The SS Walter L. Fleming was allocated to Waterman Steamship Corp. on 30 January 1944, and two years later was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, in the James River Group, Lee Hall, Virginia. Later on, in September 1959, it was sold for scrapping and withdrawn from the fleet. If you had direct contact with asbestos while serving in the U.S. Navy and consequently developed health conditions, you might be eligible for financial benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and asbestos trust funds. Surviving family of service members with asbestos-related diseases may also file a claim.
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